Karl Marx the Objective of This Study

Karl Marx

The objective of this study is to examine Karl Marx and his ideals and political contribution. Toward this end, this study will conduct a review of the literature in this area of study.

Karl Marx was born in the German Rhineland in 1818 into a Jewish family that converted to Christianity. Marx is known for having written 'The Communist Manifesto." Karl Marx is described as "the ultimate leftist, the father of Communism itself." (Freedland, 2013, p.1) The primary theory posited by Karl Marx is that "all of history is simply a class struggle between the upper and lower classes." (McHenry, 2005, p.1) Karl Marx stated that a class "is defined by the relations of its member to the means of production." (McHenry, 2005, p.1) The middle class and the proletariat are held by Karl Marx to be the two classes of people that exist in society. The proletariat are the poor, the hard working lower class who have "very little to show for their efforts and the bourgeois is the upper class" who realize the benefits of the labor of the proletariat class. Marx held that the bourgeoisie use any necessary means to control and oppress the proletariat class. According to Marx, "A class is defined by the relations of its members to the means of production." (McHenry, 2005, p.1) It was the belief of Karl Marx that the only way that a class struggle could be ended was for an uprising to occur in which the proletariats overthrow the bourgeoisie and the capitalist government resulting in a socialist rule being installed. This socialist rule would be such that would evolve into a communist rule and a society in which all individuals and class groups would be equal.

Karl Marx often quoted "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need." This quote was used by Karl Marx to explain that each individual will work in society at what the individual excels at doing and would be equal to others no matter the difference in the jobs at which they work within the society. Each individual would be in receipt from their contribution in society and the contribution of others in terms of what they needed to survive. No individual would be above another. This according to Karl Marx would end the class struggles. Karl Marx held that the cause of economic, social and class problems was that of 'private ownership'. It was the belief of Karl Marx that no one should privately own anything but that all things should be used to benefit the entire society and that private ownership served to generate problems and result in jealously between individuals in society. Where some individuals own more than other individuals the result is that classes are created. Karl Marx held that it is human nature to do as little as possible in the way of work and to receive as much as possible for the amount of labor contributed. This being the case, Marx held that once man realized that he will be in receipt of enough to survive "even if he does not work will cheat the system and slack off receiving the benefits of other deserving hardworking people. Once many realize this, the production of goods will greatly decrease due to the lack of labor being accomplished. Due to the lack of products, there will not be enough products to sustain the society sufficiently. This utter chaos and rebellion would lead to the destruction of the society and the downfall of that civilization. The people would be starving and no longer able to function to allow the people of that country to lead healthy lives." (McHenry, 2005, p.1) The Theory of Population posited by Karl Marx held that population increase "must be interpreted in the context of the capitalist economic system. A capitalist gives to labor as wage a small share of labor's productivity, and the capitalist himself takes the lion's share. The capitalist introduces more and more machinery and thus increases the surplus value of labor's productivity, which is pocketed by the capitalist." (AAG Center for Global Geography Education, nd, p.1) The difference between the productivity of labor and the level of wages is the surplus. The pay of a worker is less than the value of the worker's productivity. The introduction of machinery resulted in the increase of unemployment and this resulted in the creation of a labor reserve. When this happens the wage level drops and the result is that parents are so poor that they are unable to raise their children and a large percentage of the population becomes a virtual surplus resulting in poverty and hunger as well as other social ills all created by the "socially unjust practices associated with capitalism." (AAG Center for Global Geography Education, nd, p.1) Therefore, in the view of Karl Marx, population growth is "not related to the alleged ignorance or moral inferiority of the poor, but is a consequence of the capitalist economic system." (AAG Center for Global Geography Education, nd, p.1) Low food production in a country, in the view of Karl Marx arises due to "landlordism, unfavorable and high man-land ration, uncertainty regarding land tenure system…" and other such ills. Population growth is only a problem, according to Karl Marx, "where the production of food is not adequate." (AAG Center for Global Geography Education, nd, p.1)